Pac-12 football: With everything going on at WSU, hard to remember there's a game this week

Charges of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse by himself and his coaching staff have been disputed by WSU coach Mike LeachPaul Buker, The Oregonian

He called some of his seniors empty corpses.

After a horrid loss at Utah, he said his team’s performance was like a zombie convention.

He said the tepid play of his offensive and defensive lines in that game “bordered on cowardice.’’

Welcome to Washington State coach Mike Leach’s tell it like it is world, which got a little more complicated last Saturday when star receiver Marquess Wilson quit the team and charged Leach and his staff with “physical, emotional, and verbal abuse.’’

Leach, who had a highly-publicized issue with former ESPN analyst Craig James’ son Adam at Texas Tech three years ago that led to his firing, came under fire after his post-game tirade at Utah.

He wasn’t exactly apologetic about ripping his players in public.

“We’re not changing. This isn’t a democracy,’’ Leach said. “We don’t say, ‘you, 125 guys, how do you want practice to be and what direction do you want this or that to go?’ We don’t do that.’’

He stonewalled reporters after that game, but later “categorically denied’’ the abuse claims.

On Monday, WSU athletic director Bill Moos emphatically stood by Leach, even as the school president was calling for an in-house and Pac-12 investigation.

The Pac-12’s investigation will be handled by Ron Barker, the league’s associate commissioner for governance and enforcement.

“If something needs to be addressed, we’re going to address it,’’ said Moos.

Marquess Wilson quit the Cougars, then shook up Cougar Nation with some serious charges against Mike Leach and his coaching staffAP photo

Meanwhile, amid the controversy, WSU is preparing to play Saturday at Arizona State.

“Football’s a tough game,’’ Moos said on his weekly radio show. “You need tough players. Tough players are the result of tough coaches, and we’ve got touch coaches.’’

Moos played football in the 1970’s at WSU, during an era when physical, mental, and verbal abuse – in mild or extreme forms – wasn’t always considered politically uncorrect.

“Mike Leach is old school, and I’m OK with that’’ said Moos, who wants the school’s internal investigation to be completed as soon as possible.

“A little bit of old school isn’t all that bad. … you’ve heard me say this before,’’ saic Leach. “I think young people today crave discipline, they just don’t know it.’’

The parents of some of the beleaguered WSU seniors who have survived the radical coaching change from Paul Wulff to Leach may disagree with some of what Moos said.

Certainly, Marquess Wilson’s stepdad, Richard Miranda, disagrees.

While nobody was forced to remain in an electrical closet during practice – allgedly what happened with Leach and Adam James at Texas Tech – Miranda said what Wilson and his teammates have endured during this 2-8 season goes above and beyond accepted coaching methods.

“He (Wilson) was fed up with what was going on,’’ Miranda told the Seattle Times.

Part of Wilson’s statement, which most assume came with some help from his stepfather: “This was going to be our year … unfortunately for all, the new coaching staff has destroyed that endeavor. I believe coaches have a chance to mold players, to shape men, to create greatness. However, the new regime of coaches has preferred to belittle, intimidate, and humiliate us. This approach has obviously not been successful and has put a dark shadow on this program.’’

Some players refused to comment. Others said there was no abuse by the coaching staff, although assistant coach Paul Volero’s behavior at halftime of the Nov. 3 Utah game has drawn scrutiny.

Cougars’ center Elliott Bosch, who has supported the coaches, said Volero was trying to “fire up’’ the offensive and defensive lines when he “grabbed some guys by the chestplate.’’

In forceful language, Volero “wanted to look into their eyes and see if they really wanted to be here … if they wanted to win,’’ explained Bosch.

Leach said Volero’s interaction with the linemen, “was intense and face to face, but it wasn’t some physical ruckus.’’

Said Bosch to Cougars’ beat writer, “they’re trying to change the culture. They’re pushing us very hard, like a good football staff should.’’

Moos said he investigated the incident. “I came away from it feeling there was no intentional grabbing a player and throwing him around. It was more a motivational slap on the pads.”

Wilson was the Cougars’ highest profile player, an NFL prospect who was just seven catches away from becoming WSU’s all-time leader. He is WSU’s career leader with 3,207 receiving yards.

However, Leach has criticized Wilson since spring football and despite the fact Wilson was clearly the most dangerous offensive weapon in the Cougars’ arsenal (when he was fully engaged), Leach even demoted Wilson to second string.

The star player and the outspoken Leach never hit it off.

Leach said Wilson’s loss, “was addition by subtraction and probably long overdue.’’

Leach also said he welcomes the investigations, because “we don’t have anything to hide around here.’’

Leach said when he questioned his players’ effort at Utah, he first “called out myself and the other coaches. I don’t know why that seems to be ignored.’’

Leach seemed unconcerned about WSU president Elson Floyd feeling the situation was serious enough to warrant two investigations.

“I just think he wants to dispel all the falsehoods that surround the thing,’’ Leach said. “I have no problem with that.’’

Clearly, it’s been a rocky Year One for Leach in the Palouse.

Even more difficult for the players, if Wilson is to be believed.

“My teammates and I have endured this treatment all season long,’’ Wilson said in his now-infamous letter. “It is not tough love, it is abuse. This abuse cannot be allowed to continue.’’

Leach pointed out that despite the furor over Wilson’s letter, the Cougars produced “their best effort’’ of the season.

How much of an annoyance is all of this as the Cougars get ready for ASU?

Quarterback Jeff Tuel told writers, “I tell you guys, it’s not a distraction … we’re not worrying about of that. We’re not going out on the field and going, ‘Oh man, Marquess wrote a letter.’ It’s not happening. It’s not reality.’’